Device for mixing viscous materials



April 7, 1959 L. E. MINEAH 2,880,455

DEVICE FOR MIXING VISCOUS MATERIALS Original Filed May 15, 1953 92 IIYIIIIII/ INVENTOR, Ann/eaves E MNEAH BY Jaw Mix ATTORNEYS Patent Patented A r. 17, 1959 ciaim. c1. 1s--2 This invention relates to a'.dev ice;-for mixing viscous materials,- such as rubber like sealing compounds.

Such sealing compoundsimaybe applied, forexample, upon engaging edges of surfaces, suchv as around the flange of a cover plate .for airplane gasoline-tanks, between bolts and nuts, and the like. The compounds,

usually rubber-like and tacky, harden after continued exposure to air.

The individual In order efficiently ito utilize be maintained as'cool 'as possible. 'Oth'erwiseflhe setting of the material would'rende'r it incapable" of use.

constituentsarevafisynthetic rubber like material and a catalyzed Whom-mixed, setting or hardening takes place at .aratezproportionalitoxthe-tem- V pe'rature of the mixture Y form in appended 1 claim.

H 1dr accompanying and forming part of thepr ent; specification. I Theseforms will now be describedindetail, illustrating the geije'ralfprinciples of theiriventiongehut it is to be understood that ensue: 5 tailed-'"description is not to be taken in a'limiting sense,

since the scope of the invention is best defined by the Referring othe drawings:

- Figure: a plan view of modified form or the present invention;

' Fig. 2 is an. enlarged sectional view, taken along a "n apparatus incorporating a 1; plane indicated. by line 2-2 of .Fig. 1;

I I such: compounds, should be mixed at'the time they'are to be appliedfor shortly in advance of} such. time, and the-mixture should This-application is'a division of myapplication Serial i No. 355,220, filed May 15, 1953, entitled Device for Mixing Viscous Materials, now PatentNo. 2,768,405, is-

sued October 30, 1956.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a compact, portable and inexpensive mixer and a'pplica tor that efficiently perform the functions of mixing viscous material of this character.

It is another object of this invention to providea mixer of this character that accurately controls the proportion of the constituent materials of the final mixture. For this purpose, gear pumps are provided that urge the constituents to a mixing chamber. The gear pumps are driven by a common shaft, and thus the positive displacement of the gear pumps ensures a definite proportion of the constituent materials independent of the rate that the gear pumps are driven.

It is still another object of this invention to provide novel means for cooling the mixing apparatus. For this purpose, an air motor is used for operating the device, and the exhaust of the air motor is utilized for cooling effects.

It is still another object of this invention to make it possible quickly and easily to supply the apparatus with the constituent materials to be mixed.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a device of this character that can be easily cleaned.

It is still another object of this invention to provide apparatus incorporating a pair of novel hopper structures for cooperation with simple tin-can-type containers. Still another object of this invention is to make novel use of the bottom of the container in ensuring uniform downward flow of the contents from the container. Still another object of this invention is to provide a hopper structure of this character in which the tin-can-type containers may be replaced without interrupting the actual mixing process.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose, there are shown a few Fig, 3;.i'sr-ian enlarged sectional View, taken along-a planeindicateiiby line 33 of Fig. 1; and 15 Fig.-; 4 isaatsect ional view, taken along a plane indicated byline la-4 10f Fig. 2;

Supported-on a horizontal base'9'0':are a.imixer mechanism,91,t;'wo hoppers '108 and 119' forithe constituent. materials to be mixed, and an air motor-transmission unit .120-12.3 for operating the device. One output shaft" :92 from th'e tranmission 123 operates the mixer mech- Y haft (Fig. 2) is mounted in a standard b 9 The right-hand:

standard- 93 surrounding the shaft 92. Bolts4 98 pass -f,

ing through the flange 9'7 and engagingith'e standard 93, secure the bracket 95' to 'thestandard93.

I The-recess-96 of the'b'racket 95 defines a mixingcha'ni ber thro'i which constituent materials pass. For feeding the constituent materials to themixing chamber, the standard 93 has a pair .of pas sa eway'slor ports-99 and 100 (Fig. 4), each opening atoneend'laterally O the;

standard, and at the other end into an annular spaceflill'g This annular space 101 is formed injthe recess 96 between the rigli't hand end surface of the standard 93 about the shaft and the bottom of the chopper 94 that is spaced therefrom. I

Material enters thefmixing chamber via the'standard passageways '99 and'100 by the aid of'conduits 102 and 103 that are connected to the standardat the lateral openings of the passageways 99 and 100by "the aid of conplings 104.

The material passes through the chamber and past the chopper 94 through a fitting 105 carried at the end of the bracket 95. The fitting 105 establishes communication between a flexible hose 106 and an aperture 107 in the bottom of the bracket recess 96. The flexible hose 106 is used to fill appropriate storage receptacles, such as cans.

The manner in which the constituent materials are passed to the conduits 102 and 103 is shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The hopper 108, mounted on a body 109, in turn carried by the base 90, is adapted to serve as a reservoir for one of the constituent materials.

In the present instance, the hopper 108 is substantially cylindrical so that it may receive tin or can 110 in which the material may be supplied. The can 110 may be an ordinary paint can, in which the constituent is usually stored. When it is desired to use the mixer, the bottom of the can is cut away, the cover is removed, and the full can is then inverted and placed in hopper 108. The bottom of the can may be left in place to ensure uniform downward flow of the contents. The hopper 108 has an inner annular shoulderll l forming a stop cooperating with the usual annular edge of the can or receptacle 110.

A gear pump structure operates to urge the material from the bottom portion 112 of the hopper into the con- 115 in the direction of the arrows 116, the material of the hopper 1'12 is urged about the arcuate end walls of the recess 113 and to the lower portion of the recess between the intermeshing gear pump members 114 and 115.

A port 117 communicates with the bottom of the recess 113 and forms the discharge of the gear pump. This port 117 is in communication with the conduit 103 by the aid of a coupling 118. p

The gear pump members 114 and 115, being at the bottom of the hopper, are by gravity continuously supplied with the material as long as such material is present.

The gear pump structures 114 and 115 positively urge the material through the conduit 103 and into the mixing chamber provided by the bracket 95 via the passageway 100.

In an entirely analogous manner, a hopper 119 and a gear pump structure in cooperation therewith urge the other constituent material through the conduit 102, through the passageway 99 of the standard 93, and into the mixing chamber provided by the bracket 95.

The transmission 123 has two additional take-off shafts I 121 and 122 for operating the gear pump structures.

As in the previous form, the gear pump structures for the respective constituents, operated by a common transmission mechanism 123, control the relative proportion of the constituent materials in the final mixture.

As in the previous form, provisions are made for utilizing the air discharged from the air motor 120 for cooling the bracket 95 forming the mixing chamber. For this purpose, a conduit 124 establishes communication between the exhaust of the air motor 120 and a plurality of ports 125 of the bracket 95 (Fig. 2) that extend parallel to the axis of the mixer.

These through ports 125 surround the mixing chamber formed by the bracket aperture 96. The ports 125 open at one end in an annular recess 126 provided in the flange 97 of the bracket.

This annular space 126 communicates with the conduit 124 by the aid of a coupling 127 and a passageway 128 in the standard 93. This passageway 128 opens in the 4 end surface of the standard 93 over which the flange 97 and its recess 126 extend.

The other ends of the longitudinally extending ports 125 discharge to the ambient atmosphere. Restrictions at the inlets to the ports 125, as at 129, may be provided for ensuring uniform distribution of air to all ports 125.

When tin or can is substantially emptied, it may be removed, still leaving a residue of material in the lower portion 112 of the hopper 108 beneath the can. A full can can be quickly inserted into the hopper 108 or 119 without requiring shut-down of the apparatus.

The inventor claims:

In a mixer structure: a standard; a shaft supported by the standard for rotation and projecting beyond one end surface of the standard; a chopper member mounted on the projecting end of the shaft; a bracket having an end surface and a central or axial recess extending inwardly from said end surface; means detachably securing the bracket to the standard so that the chopper member and the projecting portion of the shaft enter said central recess and so that the end surface of said bracket engages an outer area of the end surface of the standard; there being an inner annular area about the shaft at the end surface of the standard that is exposed at the axial recess of the bracket; the bracket having a plurality of ports surrounding and substantially paralleling the axial recess of the bracket, and opening exteriorly of the bracket at a place remote from the end surface of said bracket; and means forming an annular space between the end surface of the bracket and said outer area of said standard end surface; said bracket having a plurality of restricted openings between said annular space and said surrounding ports; said standard having passage means for conducting cooling gases to said annular space; said standard having passage means opening at said inner annular area of said standard end surface; said bracket having discharge passage means opening from the bottom of said axial recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,451 Jonsson Feb. 25, 1896 992,581 Noonan et al May 16, 1911 2,015,056 Barnes Sept. 24, 1935 2,333,104 Hopkins Nov. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 602,089 Great Britain May 19, 1948 

